Written by

Jeff Gluck
| USA TODAY Sports

Tony Stewart emerged from 29 days of recovery after a broken right leg as mostly the same old "Smoke" but with one minor change: He was more eager than usual to speak with reporters.

In a news conference at Stewart-Haas Racing that marked the three-time NASCAR champion's first public appearance since getting injured in an Aug. 5 sprint car race in Iowa, Stewart cracked jokes about a lack of attractive nurses, vowed to return by next season's Daytona 500 and showed little remorse that his decision to race on the side ended his season prematurely.